Buckle.



F. E. VANDERQOOK.

BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOVHB, 191a.

Patented July 6, 1915.

WRAP IX-WASHINGTON D- C.

FIG

FRANK E. VANDERCOOK, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

Application filed November 18, 1913.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. VANDER- COOK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices of that class quite generally availed of for fastening purposes in conjunction with textile or other strap-like objects, such devices being commonly known as buckles.

The object of this invention. is to provide a two-part buckle which shall be simple and inexpensive as regards its construction; durable, eflicient and reliable in practical service; which shall embody novel features whereby its operating tongue shall encounter a yielding resistance, under any force, including its own gravity, sustained thereby and calculated to effect, casually or otherwise, the displacement thereof from the general part which supports it; and which shall possess certain well-defined advantages over prior analogous devices.

The invention consists in certain combinations, details and parts whereby, together with the novel disposition and relative arrangement of said parts, the attainment of the foregoing object is rendered practicable, all of which will be hereinafter more specifically referred to and set forth in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a buckle embodying my said improvements, segments of a strap-like object being shown in conjunction therewith to more clearly illustrate the practical application thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section of same, as along the broken line 511-00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof. Fig. 4: is a view showing in perspective the general frame or base. Fig. 5 is a view showing in perspective and detached the general operating tongue. I

Having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference-numerals denote like parts throughout the several views, I provide a base of the so-called open or skeleton type, possessing suitable inherent resiliency, and opposite parts or elements of which are so normally contracted relatively to a P ed dimen ie ofthe ope ng,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Serial No. 801,573.

tongue supported thereby, as to afford a resistance which elastically opposes both the insertion of said tongue in position with respect to said base, and its removal or displacement, casually or intentionally, therefrom.

In a general sense the base aforenamed consists of a pair of primal stress-bars, preferably arranged in parallelism, each with the other, though not necessarily so, suitably spaced apart, and, through the medium of upstanding bearing-loops, integrally connected, each with the other, at the opposite extremities thereof. Also by preference, and to suitably contract widthwise the space intervening between the stress-bars aforenamed, said stress-bars are directly merged, I

made use of, may be primarily bent, in the. at suitably-spaced, dual same direction, points therealong, and thereafter oppositely or duly returned, in a manner to form a front stress-bar 2, and, generally in parallelism therewith, a rear stress-bar 2, the terms front and rear being here used to designate the stress-bars 2, 2', and other elements of the general construction, in their relation to the operating tongue made use of, and which will be hereinafter more specifically described, said stress-bars being primarily interconnected integrally, each at its opposite ends with the other, accordingly, and the structure thus far completed approximating in general form an elongated eye, as will be clearly understood. Whereupon, said stress bars, at corresponding points removed suitably therealong, respectively, from the opposite connected ends thereof, are turned upwardly in unison for the formation of opposite bearing-loops 8, 3. The crown portion of each of said bearing-loopsis so shaped as to present at the underside thereof a bearing line or surface which shallextend from a determinate pointabove the -plane'of the stress-bars aforenamed, generally downward in the direct-ion of either leg, or both legs, of such bearing-loop, said bearing line or surface being, in this instance and by preference, bowed more or less generallv upward. Accordingly, each of the bearingloops aforenamed approximates in general form, in this instance, an inverted U; and in all instances the space intervening between the stressbars 2, 2, continues, at its opposite ends and without material variation in width, upwardly into said bearingloops, respectively.

4 denotes an operating tongue, having trunnions 4, 4" formed thereon at its opposite ends, and being, ordinarily, coextensive in extent from either trunnioned end to the opposite trunnioned end thereof, with the extent of the space which normally intervenes between the bearing-loops 3 3, said trunnions, under proper adjustment of the tongue 4 relatively to the base aforenamed, freely occupying, and operating within, the bearing-loops aforenamed, all as clearly indicated in the drawing.

The tongue 4 is merged at its upper margin into an intermediate section 5, whose face dimension taken parallel with said tongue exceeds somewhat in extent the extent of the space aforenamed which normally intervenes between the bearing-loops 3, 3. The foregoing increase in the extent of the intermediate section 5, relatively to the corresponding extent of the tongue 4, is brought about, in this instance, by merging said intermediate section, at the opposite ends thereof, into opposite, lateral detents or lugs 5, 5, each of which, by preference, has a curvilinear or rounded, exposed edge surface, substantially as shown in the draw ing. Again, the intermediate section 5 is, in turn, merged, at its margin most distant from the tongue 4, into a finger-piece 6, which finger-piece is arranged angularly with respect to the plane of said tongue.

To the end that due clearance may be had between the tongue 4, when adjusted, say to the position indicated in Fig. 2, and the stress-bars 2, 2, constituting the base aforenamed thereunder, such clearance being for the occupancy of superimposed portions, as 6, 6", of a strap-like object, and still keep the bearing-loops 3, 3, each within a mini mum limit as to height, the trunnions 4, 4 are offset in unison somewhat forwardly of the plane of said tongue. Again, the oilsetting of the trunnions 4, 4, as stated, insures for the tongue 4, a measurable eccentric, rocking action, whenever the same shall be moved, as on its trunnions aforenamed, and as from the position it is shown as occupying in Fig. 2, to approximately the position it is shown as occupying in Fig. 3, said tongue, when undergoing its said eccentric actlon, primarily engaging along its lower edge or margin, the superimposed strap-like sections thereunder, and crowding the same jointly somewhat downward between, and to a seat on each of, the stress-bars 2, 2, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3; whereupon, under stress applied to said strap-like sec tions, respectively, and serving to pull the same, one lengthwise in one direction, and the other lengthwise in the opposite direction, tongue 4, with the parts or elements integrally conjoined therewith, including the trunnions 4, 4", will, by reason of the contact line or surface, hereinbefore alluded to as being afforded by the crown-segment of each of the bearingloops 3, 3, leading from a determined point above the stressbars 2, 2, generally downward and forward therefrom, bodily undergo, correlatively therewith, and to a measurable extent, a downward and forward movement, thereby finally and effectually clamping together the strap-like sections aforenamed.

The finger-piece 6, which is preferably dished somewhat upwardly and transversely, is provided more essentially for the convenience of the user in manipulating the tongue 4; and as a reinforcement for that portion of the webbing or strap-like object or objects intersecting the play of said fur ger-piece, in one direction, the rear-stressbar 2 may be provided with a minor loop 7, as in common practice.

In practice, my improved buckle may be attached to the article or object in conjunction with which the same is to be used, in any convenient and well-known manner.

In assembling the separable parts of my improved buckle, that is, the base and the operating tongue thereof of which the buckle solely consists, that margin of the finger-piece 6 most distant from the tongue 4, is first inserted and carried upwardly be tween the stress-bars 2, 2, until the detents 5 5" engage, each a leg or segment of the bearing-loop adjacent thereto; then under due manipulation of the tongue 4, and pres sure suitably applied thereto, said bearing loops, by reason of the inherent resiliency of the base aforenamed, will elastically yield apart and permit said detents to pass, each beyond the bearingloop leg or segment which it engages; whereupon, said bearingloops will, under the spring-tension sus tained thereby, automatically return, each to its normal position, thereby displaceably locking the tongue 4, with its trunnions 4, 4, each freely occupying one of the bearing-loops aforenamed, in its position for service relatively to the base aforenained of the buckle. As will be readily understood, tongue 4 may be quickly displaced from its operating position relatively to the base of the buckle, by simply reversing the foregoing operation, no mechanical implement, tool or the like being needful, either in as sembling the tongue 4 with the base aforenamed, or separating these parts. The foregoing constitutes an important characteristic of my present invention.

It will be seen that my improved buckle is Well adapted for the purpose for which it is intended, and further that the same may be modified to a considerable extent, particularly as regards the means availed of for causing the tongue 4: to encounter a yielding resistance, when being positioned, or when being taken from its position, relatively to the base of the buckle, and various minor details of the general construction, without departing from the scope of my invention, as set forth in the claims hereto'appended.

I claim:

1. A buckle consisting only of a base and an operating tongue, said base being formed from a single piece of wire primarily bent into the form of an elongated eye, the opposite end-portions of said eye being turned upwardly for the formation of opposite, upstanding bearing-loops, whereby opposite, approximately parallel stress-bars, directly supporting the aforenamed bearing-loops, are formed, with the space intervening therebetween continuing upwardly into said bearing-loops, respectively, each of the latter being elastically yieldable toward and away from the other, and said tongue being formed wholly from a single piece of sheetmetal, having formed integrally therewith opposite trunnions cooperating, respectively, with the bearing-loops aforenamed, and being adapted to engage, at its opposite side edges, with said bearing-loops, and thereby enter and escape from, its assembled position relative to said base, by a snap-action only.

2. A buckle consisting only of a base and an operating tongue, said base being formed from a single piece of wire primarily bent into the form of an, elongated eye, the op posite end-portions of'said eye being turned upwardly for the formation of opposite, up-

standing bearing-loops, whereby opposite,

approximately parallel stress-bars, directly supporting the aforenamed bearing-loops,

are formed, with the space intervening therebetween continuing, accordingly, upwardly into said bearing-loops, respectively, each of the latter being elastically yieldable toward and away from the other, and said tongue being formed wholly from sheetmetal, having formed thereon opposite trunnions cooperating, respectively, with the bearing-loops aforenamed, and being merged into a section, adjacent to its trunnions, whose face dimension, taken parallel with said tongue, exceeds somewhat in extent the extent of the space which normally intervenes between the aforenamed bearingloops, and whereby said tongue is permitted to snap into and out of its assembled position, between said bearing-loops and relative to the base aforenamed.

3. A buckle consisting only of a base and an operating tongue, said base being formed from a single piece of wire primarily bent into the form of an elongated eye, the opposite end-portions of said eye being turned upwardly for the formation of opposite, upstanding bearing-loops, whereby opposite, approximately parallel stress-bars, directly supporting the aforenamed bearing-loops, are formed, with the space intervening therebetween continuing, accordingly, upwardly into said bearing-loops, respectively, each of the latter being elastically yieldable toward and away from the other, and said tongue being formed Wholly from sheetmetal, having formed thereon opposite trunnions cooperating, respectively, with the bearing-loops aforenamed, and being insertible into and removable from its assembled position by way of the space intervening Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

